Takara Transformers

[Mandingo Rex]

Nasty cell pics, apologies. I just snapped a few to give a relative sense of scale:

You'll see Takara's MP Sideswipe alongside iGear's "Ratchet" and "Ironhide", along with Takara's Alternity Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, Takara's MP-10, and Hasbro's Alternators "Jazz".

Not quite perfect in bot mode, but passable. And in vehicle mode they'd all be ridiculous looking together. I didn't even bother taking pics of the vehicle modes because for one, they're a pain in the ass to transform, and two... well, like I said... They'd just look ridiculous in scale with one another.

Ratchet and Ironhide need to be about 15-20% bigger, and Jazz needs to be the size of Sideswide, and the Alternity guys just need better bot modes. For now though, this is as close I'll get to "MPs" of any of these guys, until Takara does them properly.

 

[nacho]

Nice pics. Yeah, IH and Ratchet do need to be a bit bigger, but since they are a smidge larger than sideswipe, I'll deem that passable, certainly good enough for display. I don't have any alternity figs, and I wouldn't display any Alts with these guys (the longer I live, the more I dislike Alts in general). But it's nice to see that the igear guys are reasonable stand-ins until proper MP's are made. I'll bet IH & Ratchet look great with Faith Leader, as I would assume that (aside from the jet repaints) the igear guys are all in scale with one another.

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Yeah, like I mentioned before, I'm leaning more and more towards dumping my Alternators one day, keeping only a select few.

The thing with Alternators Jazz compared to Sideswipe, is that the actual "robot" skeleton is roughly the same size (maybe about 5-10% smaller). It's just that they've gotten SO much better at cramming in robotic parts without all the kibble, plus there's not as much functionality needed on things like steering wheels and seats that the Alternators retained.

Jazz is just really "beefy" and bulky, the same as the Alternity guys (minus those bird-like legs on the Alternity two). Ratchet and Ironhide both wind up pretty much the same degree of "self-contained" as Sideswipe, except for a few pieces of pesky kibble on the shoulders (I HATE the door flap that hangs off the back of the iGear shoulders! OMG it's such a hinderance!).

Sideswipe is really, really well done.

 

[Mandingo Rex]

I was watching the G1 cartoon on the Hub and realized what bugs the shit out of me about the iGear Ratchet and Ironhide... They needed silver/gray legs and a crotch piece to break up their colors.

Ratchet isn't as bad as Ironhide, I don't think, but they just look unpainted in their entire mid-section. Gunmetal or dark gray legs on IH would've looked much better, plus lighter gray legs on Ratchet...

I'd potentially switch parts on them, but don't want to mess with those pain in the ass pins. Ironhide would look better with Ratchet's crotch and legs with a gray coat on the legs, and literally just use Ironhide's legs/crotch plate on Ratchet's body.

What paints do you guys use on TFs? I've used enamels before, but they don't work well when there's rub...

 

[nacho]

I use acrylics with a top coat of clear dull krylon, but to be honest, I don't think any paint works really well when there's a rub...

 

[xxxx]

great pics,jazz look's cool.

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Boo. Sounds like Masterpiece Soundwave is getting delayed. I was hoping to get him by Christmas. At least this saves me the hassle of having to coordinate delivery while I'm out of town for the holidays, but still...

It's just a month, but still. I hope we hear soon what the next MP is going to be! (The cassettes weren't a big surprise and were already shown.)

 

[nacho]

I'm grateful that the expensive masterpiece figure got delayed until after the holidays. It's a real bitch to fit that kind of stuff in the december budget...

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Yeah, new stuff was really stacking up...I just hope FPs Stunticons don't get delayed...I REALLY want them ASAP!

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

You guys seen this?...obviously the existing two limbs were doubled up, but it's cool to see what we will basically see in the end...

The consensus is that the lower torso/crotch/thighs are too small...so a TFW member upscaled them 30%

 

[nacho]

I agree the beefier thighs would be better looking, but I'm really not going to complain given what we're getting... especially when you consider what we'd be getting without TFC.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Here's a cool review comparing the Art feather Bee with some other MPs...

Honestly, I'm not very impressed with this Bee...seems kinda janky for the cost...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV8ua17auRs

 

[nacho]

Compared to all the other G1 MP Bumblebees? I'm not going to say it has no flaws, but for display purposes, I think it's pretty sweet.

 

[nacho]

Bear in mind, this is my own personal speculation, nothing more: I think Steel Core is the base figure for a FP Ultra Magnus. He transforms into a futuristic truck-cab that specifically has a hole for a trailer peg. They show the "team" as Defender (FP Springer), Assaulter (FP Broadside) and SC. The other two are Wreckers, so it stands to reason that another member of the team would also be an homage to a wrecker. I think that in the coming months, we'll learn that FP is making trailer-armor. I think it will look like UM, and that the Steel Core name of the figure is based on it being the core of the larger armored figure, not named b/c of the micro figure he comes with. While the SC figure looks nothing like a white repaint of Prime, I think this is FP saying that he shouldn't and does not need to look like Prime underneath. This might be the rantings of a madman, but I think SC will end up being FP Ultra Magnus.

I will now go back to wearing my tinfoil hat....

Maybe I'm not so crazy after all... hmmmmm

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

We'll I'll be...bet it looks bada$$ when released

 

[nacho]

It's not yet clear if the trailer actually becomes armor, or if it just carries more little robot guys inside. I'll be really disappointed if it really is nothing more than a trailer. But since these people already made transforming trailer armor for classics Hot Rod, it's certainly not out of the question.

FYI, Steel Core's teammate, Warbot Assaulter (aka Not-Broadside), got put in my PoL yesterday. I'm kinda stoked about that one. The original G1 toy was horrid, but this thing looks to be all kinds of awesome.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

There's no way in hell they'll make it just a trailer...that won't do much for sales of it or the extra run of SC...I'd almost 99% guarantee it'll transform...

Assaulter looks crazy awesome...and I considered picking him up...but I don't have any of their other Wreckers they've already released...

 

[nacho]

Well Steel Core just got a second run, and Defender did too.

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=FPJ10013&mode=retail

And I'll bet there will be an additional run of Steel Core when the trailer is released.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Do you have Defender?...I heard had some looseness issues...

 

[nacho]

I do, but it's still in the box.

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Any of you have the iGear Brawn? I'm watching the G1 cartoon on the Hub right now and I kind of want him now. He comes up to roughly Prime's kneecaps. Seems the iGear one would be about the right scale to MP-10.

Kind of want Huffer, too.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Negative

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Found it:

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/trans...2012-rules-first-post-updated-5-24-a-463.html

Scroll down to the post by Tekering. Like I need anymore 'bots, but he looks pretty good. A tad small for vehicle mode consistency, but in-scale to the G1 'toon though...

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Yeah, vehicle scale he's crazy far off...he should be more the size of MP-10

What post number?...I'm set up for 40 per page there

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Ugh, here, let me spoon-feed you!

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/trans...irst-post-updated-5-24-a-463.html#post8504751

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Seriously...it won't work...it takes me right to the last page...post number?

 

[Mandingo Rex]

4625. Last pic, Nancy!

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Looks cool, but horrifically out of scale

 

[nacho]

I have him. I love all the igear mini-bots. I think they are all "igear-scale", which is more in line with Ratchet/Ironhide and Faith Leader. Unfortunately, "igear-scale" is really somewhere between CHUG and MP....

EDIT: just looked at the pic, and man, Sideswipe looks fantastic with the rest of the igear crew. I might have to go that way display-wise...

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

I know you guys don't care much about Giant, but I added some articulated hands to him that made me love the set so much more...I originally bought the hands to use with Hercules, but they were too small...

 

[Mandingo Rex]

What'd the hands come from? That first one made me giggle, like he said "GIMME DAT ASS!"

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Lol...yeah, that pose works better with a rage face

I got the hand kit from here...$24 well spent IMO


http://www.g-system-shop.com/product_info.php?scale_id=11&products_id=369

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Woohoo! Just sold Wal-Mart Starscream on Craigslist. Gotta ship it on Friday. Guy up the coast bought it and the coronation kit for a good price.

Now, I gotta sell the other seekers... 1 down, 4 to go.

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Also, I just painted the "dead eyes" on MP-10, iGear Ratchet and iGear Ironhide, along with a bit more detail work on both the iGear vans. I'll try and post pics eventually.

I just wish I could get Sideswipe's head open so I could get to those eyes, but I don't think I'll be able to Looks like the head is held together with pins.

And btw, taking apart (well, more the putting-back-together) MP-10's head is a pain in the ass. It's made of like fiddly little 15 pieces that have to all line up perfectly to go back together.

 

[nacho]

"dead eyes"? What do you do to fix this?

Eddie, that looks pretty cool. I do like the hands. I have no problem with Giant per se, but for me it was just a day late and a dollar (or inches) short. I just didn't need two 3p devastators, and Herc was just first and larger. But you definitely make Giant look sweet!

 

[xxxx]

hey guys,just recieved my g1 shockwave[i'm very impressed!].also i managed to get a takara[more than meets the eye collection,number 10]soundwave with laserbeak,henkei ghost starscream and a 25th anniversary starscream,my collection is coming along nicely.i've got a masterpiece soundwave lined up from a uk seller whos importing them...not cheap though,160 pounds!

 

[Mandingo Rex]

"dead eyes"? What do you do to fix this?

I disassembled the head, removed the clear blue light-piping section, painted just the eye-lens bright cyan blue, then reassembled the heads. Did that for Prime and both Ratchet and Ironhide, and then painted the back of their skulls to match the rest of their heads. Ratchet is a bit off since matching white plastic with paint is a pain, plus white always gets dirty almost immediately. Ironhide turned out ok, though. I may redo Ratchet's though.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

You guys seen the new pics of the completed Uranos (Superion) and remaining two limbs?

Copied the pics from TFW and from my photobucket...but for some reason my photobucket pics didn't come out with the same resolution...also a fan color

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Those are pretty sick! Too bad I don't have a full-time job right now, or anymore room for him. $600 is too steep for me for the near future...

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Here's what Uranos would look like with a lower torso and thigh upscaling of 30%...IMO, it helps the proportions tremendously!...the arms and legs don't look as comical and seem to fit better with a more massive body...